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Friday, November 9, 2012

Hate and Loathing in America

I've been observing a disturbing trend this week on social media. My personal Facebook page (not the public one you guys see) has been flooded with an outpouring of post-election hate. What's particularly disturbing, is this hate speech is coming from my personal friends (people I know and like), and friends of theirs (their social circles).

One man complained "the government should not spend money on useless minorities." The man's uncle, my friend, reminded his nephew that he was gay, and thus one of those "useless minorities."

One friend commented on a post quoting 18th century philosopher and economist Adam Smith with the pithy reply: "Sounds like jew propaganda to me." The two-page quote about economics never mentioned religion. But why pass up an opportunity to bring in an anti-Semitic remark in a discussion about money?

A friend of mine asked: "Dow down over 300 points... what happened?" Based on my experience as a former stockbroker and having earned an MBA from one of the nation's top MBA schools, I gave a reasoned, non-political response: "European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the debt crisis is starting to hurt Germany (the lynchpin holding up the EU economy). Add to that Apple's continued descent into bear territory (more than 20% decline from $703 to $563 in one month) and uncertainty about the so-called "fiscal cliff" and traders are bailing out of long positions. I expect a few rocky months ahead with some good buying opportunities on the dips and a rebound in early 2013." His friends chimed in with more simplistic, Tea Party-like (but incorrect)
response : "Wrong guy won." and "Wrong guy won - an understatement at best."

This kind of thinking is called a syllogism: a type of logical argument in which the conclusion is inferred from two events: Obama was re-elected and the stock market fell. But it is also what's called a logical fallacy because there is no evidence to connect the two unrelated events (for example, if Obama as president were bad for the Dow, it would not have doubled during the first four years of his presidency, so if anything, his retention as president should be viewed as favorable for the Dow's prospects), while there is evidence pointing to the true causes of the market decline. We call such evidence "facts". People who make emotion-based arguments (haters) ignore facts (logic). And when you present them with the facts, they tune it out. I'll discuss this tuning out of reality in my next post. But for now, I think we have to ask why there is so much more hate and ignorance rising to the surface of the American zeitgeist.

Another friend said "I did something I've never done before here on Facebook -- I unfriended four people." He explained he disliked the "level of discourse, whether in anger because a candidate lost or whether in trash talking mode because a candidate we like won" that appeared on his Facebook news feed from his friends. As I've stated, I, too, am disturbed by this. But, as a journalist, I find it troubling to censor the speech of others simply because I do not agree with it or find it offensive. If it turns out my friends are not the people I thought they were, but instead, indeed carry such hate in their hearts, then I shall delete them as friends both from Facebook and from my life. But venting from a passionately held political belief is different from racist, anti-Semitic, or homophobic remarks.

I replied: "I haven't defriended anyone based on their political beliefs, although I have hidden some of the feeds of some of the more abusive friends, and I have blocked some friends from reading my feed because I knew they are so far from my views that my political posts during the campaign would disturb them. I don't mind political debate and I appreciate those with different views from my own, but there is a segment of the population that is divorced from reality, living in a bubble/echo chamber where only their own views are heard and reinforced, and when you try to have a discussion you are met with rattled off talking points or arguments ad hominem (because they are low information viewers/voters lacking an understanding of the issues, relying on simplistic unfeasible platitudes and solutions to complex problems)."

I added: "As a journalist, I recoil from the idea of shutting off someone's speech just because I don't agree with it or find it offensive. Let them post their rants and whining and most readers will draw their own conclusions. They only make themselves look bad."

One friend of a friend responded "Facebook is my living room, in a sense. I take umbrage to irrational rants stuck in my face (news feed). I invited these friends in... When someone displays what I consider to be irrational or mean-spirited rants within my news feed, I'm not obligated to be fair to them. I'm not running a newspaper here or a government; if I want to unfriend someone, I have that option, and I can show them to the door."

I can appreciate the frustration of internalizing what some of our friends are posting. But, if these are indeed one's friends (and not merely strangers bearing the appellation of "friend"), are we not obligated to be fair to our friends? If you "unfriend" every friend who says something you don't want to hear, you will eventually find yourself with no friends at all. Sometimes, the best friends are those who tell you what you need to hear, not necessarily what you want to hear.

I believe it is important to discuss and debate issues of public concern. Such debate may be robust and passionate. The intent should be not to "win" an argument (which Dale Carnegie teaches us is impossible) but to educate the other person as to your viewpoint and try to open his mind a crack for him to consider the subject from your point of view, so he will be receptive to learning new facts that might later alter his position. Such discourse should not include argument ad hominem (personal attacks) or hate speech against specific groups of people. Instead, it should be an intellectual exchange of ideas -- some accepted and others rejected -- that ends with both sides remaining friends, who simply choose to disagree on certain matters.

Over my lifetime, I have engaged in numerous robust and passionate debates with friends from different cultures, different countries and political systems, different religions, different races, different sexuality, and who were proponents of political and economic theories vastly different from my own. I've disagreed with many, learned from many, and in some cases, changed my initial conceptions. But even when my friends expressed views at polar opposites to my own, I never disowned them as friends. At times, I might have questioned their fundamental intelligence or mental stability based on their statements, but never their friendship. Because, as an old cartoon of a skunk once put it, "a friend is someone who knows all your flaws... and likes you anyway."

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Click any book cover below in this column to jump to a complete description.

Cops and Robbers

The 25th Hour

All the Time in the World

Paved With Good Intentions

To Hell In A Handbasket

Halos & Horns Omnibus Edition

Nightstalkers

Issues In Internet Law

Collected Essays of a Reluctant Blogger

More Essays of a Reluctant Blogger

Return of the Reluctant Blogger

Cops and Robbers

The Tomorrow Paradox

Shards

And A Child Shall Lead Them

The Witches' Cauldron

Flashbacks

Nosferatu, Inc.

Now available as an electronic download to your computer, laptop, iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Android devices, Chromebook, and other e-readers! S...

eBooks!

Until now, my books have only been available in print
editions and in Kindle format for e-books. But now you can read these great books below in EPUB format for Apple iTunes, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Inktera, and Smashwords. Here are links to the EPUB versions:

Best Seller!

Cops and Robbers

Quirky Crime Drama!

Cops and Robbers "Grim cover"paperback

Cops and Robbers

A pair of FBI agents set up a bogus movie production as part of an unlikely sting operation to snare a mob kingpin. They buy the worst script in Hollywood and hire a failed movie producer whose career is on the skids; a third-rate aging actress whose claim to fame is having performed Shakespeare… on a cruise ship; an amphetamine-enhanced screenwriter; a hooker; a Yiddish-speaking accountant; a black, flaming gay actor; and a Native American actor who insists on dressing like an Old West dime store Indian. However, throughout the course of the film, the mobsters and one of the FBI agents become so enamored by the glitter and glamour of Hollywood that they actually end up working together to try to make the movie a success. Our hero is a hitman in search of the redemption he doesn't believe he deserves. He realizes the fake film was never meant to be produced and develops a conscience believing it's wrong to allow the innocent actors and film crew to spend months of their lives working on a movie no one will ever see, despite the delusions of everyone else involved. Knowing their hopes and dreams will be dashed, our hero sets about trying to do the right thing.

Adventures of Mackenzie Mortimer

The 25th Hour

Mackenzie Mortimer is a typical junior high geek: shy, awkward, late with his homework, and always late for class. He's never got enough time to do everything he needs to do; after all, there are only 24 hours in a day. But when Mac finds his grandfather's pocket watch, he discovers his days have an extra hour. The eccentric inventor's journal reveals the watch can add up to 60 minutes to a single day by freezing time around whomever controls it. When a crisis looms for Mac and his friends, time is running out... but fortunately, Mackenzie Mortimer has a few more minutes than anyone else.

The Tomorrow Paradox

The Tomorrow Paradox: Book Two in The Adventures of Mackenzie Mortimer

After confronting the mysterious time traveler who had been stalking him, Mac's pocket watch was destroyed. Now Mackenzie Mortimer’s troubles are just beginning! Mac finds himself a stranger in a strange land, surrounded by familiar people he doesn’t really know, with only Gemma, a 15-year-old clone, to guide him through the labyrinth of the future. Will the mysterious black, iron key unlock the secrets to returning him home, or is it a harbinger of his impending doom?

Time is running out... but fortunately, Mackenzie Mortimer has a few more minutes than anyone else.

All the Time in the World

All the Time in the World: Book Three in The Adventures of Mackenzie Mortimer

Mac has left Gramps' diary behind in the future and Victoria Carmichael's ex-husband, Jeremy Bentaine, has stolen it along with Gramps' journals. Now, Bentaine Industries seeks to be the sole possessor of time travel technology... and that means eliminating Mackenzie Mortimer before he discovers the pocket watch! But Mac has followed Gramps' trail to WWII Nazi-occupied Belgium, where he must use his future technology to stay alive, locate Gramps, and unite a pair of star-crossed lovers. The horrors of WWII that Mac encounters will change him forever, but if the Bentaine family has its way, forever will be a very short time for Mackenzie Mortimer!

Time is running out... but fortunately, Mackenzie Mortimer has a few more minutes than anyone else.

Halos & Horns Fantasy Series

Paved with Good Intentions

Exiled on Earth, naive angel Gabriel and amoral demon Lucifer, in the human guise of “Gabe Horn” and “Lou Cypher”, form an unlikely partnership as private investigators in Las Vegas. Their adventures take them across the seven heavenly realms, into the nine levels of Hell, through the dream realm of the Dreamscape, and even through time to Camelot. Along the way, the pair encounter a wickedly funny assortment
of angels, demons, witches, warlocks, vampires, and other supernatural creatures.

Meet some of the most imaginative characters in contemporary fantasy, including an intriguing array of protagonists (Miss Twitch, a Salem witch; Emma, a British schoolgirl and witch-in-training, and Morgan Summers, a Dreamwalker) and antagonists (sadistic witch-hunter Nathaniel Thornhill, a golem, a Paiute Shaman, the corporate vampires of Nosferatu, Inc., trampires, gangsters, and nefarious demons). Some of the vampires include Sharon - she’s Jewish, crosses don’t bother her; Pandora - trouble follows her like a shadow; Claude - he’s too claustrophobic to use a coffin; and Artemus - a 10-year-old boy who’s been a vampire for nearly 457 years. But the real stars are the ultimate odd couple, Gabriel and Lucifer, whose comedic banter and improbable escapades will amuse and thrill readers and leave them asking for more.

And a Child Shall Lead Them

Picking up where Paved with Good Intentions left off, the second installment in the the Halos & Horns fantasy series finds the angel Gabe Horn and demon Lou Cypher facing the Dark Gods in their bid for domination of the multiverse; Lilith, the mother of all succubi; and Armageddon! Ditzy vampire Pandora is dating a werewolf! Resident witch Samantha gives birth to Alaric, but is his father Lou or the warlock Mordred? All your favorite characters are back, along with some intriguing new arrivals. And meet the kids: Emma the Cockney witchling; Siofra, the Irish changeling; Asabi, the African emere; Kaya, the Japanese hypnalis; and Artemus, the boy vampire. But how long can even these supernatural children survive now that the ancient child-devouring succubus Lilith walks the Earth once more?

To Hell in a Handbasket

Picking up where And a Child Shall Lead Them left off, the third installment in the the Halos & Horns fantasy series finds the angel Gabe Horn and demon Lou Cypher questioning their roles, as each embarks on a personal journey to discover his humanity.

The cast of characters must adjust to the changes brought about at the conclusion of the previous installment. With the Devil taking charge of Heaven, Gabriel rebels, searching for answers in the most unlikely of places. As Samantha ponders his proposal, Lucifer finds himself a reluctant ruler. Síofra, the Irish changeling, must adjust to life hiding from Alaric in Japan with the ingénue Kaya, unaware of the girl's deadly secret. A familiar figure rises from obscurity to seize the reins of power at Nosferatu, Inc., while Morgana le Fay seeks vengeance for the fate of her son, Mordred.

The Witches' Cauldron

Picking up where To Hell in a Handbasket left off, the fourth installment of the Halos & Horns fantasy series finds the angel Gabriel and the demon Asmodeus fighting for their lives against usurper Baphomet and his demonic horde in his bid to take dominion of Hell; Lucifer brought for judgment before the Eternals for the murder of Cholestra, keeper of the Sands of Time; and the witch Samantha Twitch joining forces with her sisters Drusilla and Calliope against the sorceress supreme Morgana le Fay and her Dark Fae minions. Will teen witch Emma regret her decision to stand by the changeling Damien? Can Damien find a way to halt his rapid aging? Will the critically injured Detective Mordecai survive? And if not, will he take the secret of his daughters to the grave?

An attack on Nosferatu, Inc.'s Japanese headquarters by the ancient vampiric demons known as the Empusae not only threatens Lady Chiyoko's territory, but will change the young hypnalis Kaya's life forever. Meanwhile, one character must journey back in time to 17th century Salem in search of the secret to defeating Morgana le Fay. But what other secrets does the Salem coven hold? No one is safe. As the Halos & Horns saga draws to its conclusion, who will survive?

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." - Hamlet (Act 1, Scene 5). A naïve angel and amoral demon discover the truth of Shakespeare's words, when a wager between God and the Devil lands them on Earth. In the guise of Las Vegas private eyes "Gabe Horn" and "Lou Cypher", the archangel Gabriel and trickster demon Lucifer embark on personal quests of their own in search of their humanity. Their personal journey is also a physical one, spanning both time and dimensions, through the centuries to Camelot and 17th century Salem, exploring the seven Heavens, the nine levels of Hell, the Dark Dimension of the ancient Dark Gods, Thenesia - an ancient land of swords and sorcery, the somnolent realm of the Dreamscape, and the eerie emptiness of Limbo.

Beneath the prosaic veneer of urban life, mortal humans live in blissful ignorance alongside preternatural and supernatural creatures: warlocks and witches, vampires, werewolves, the Fae, kitsune, and creatures whispered of in myths of African, Irish, and Japanese cultures. Seers gaze at the Sands of Time as the golden grains tumble through the mystical hourglass, seeking to divine what the Fates have woven. Through these memorable characters and exotic settings, the author explores the nature of good and evil, free will versus predetermination, man's inhumanity to man, universal versus moral relativism, nature versus nurture, loss of innocence, coming of age, death, love and friendship, the quest for power, individualism, sacrifice, and faith versus doubt, among other literary themes. This Omnibus Edition collects all four volumes in the Halos & Horns fantasy saga, replete with 61 new color illustrations; the "Guide to the Halos & Horns Multiverse" detailing each character, place, and object; previously unpublished essays by the author; and the novelette The Pandora Chronicles, a preview of the forthcoming spin-off trilogy, Fangs & Fur.

Available in softcover and hardcover editions.

Flashbacks

Pandora's a carefree party girl who just happens to be a vampire. With her best friend Sharon Mordecai, a hybrid vampire; her boyfriend Cody Fenris, a werewolf; and Cody's sister Lupe, who transforms into a wolf, they run Nightstalkers Inc., a private detective agency. Pandora and Sharon also belong to Nosferatu, Inc., a worldwide corporation set up to provide relocation services for vampires, who cannot remain in one place indefinitely, lest the "breathers" question why they never age. Other Nosferatu members include 10-year-old Artemus, the boy vampire; ex-KGB operative Valentina Petrovna; the maladroit, claustrophobic vampire Claude Gauthier; the vagrant "trampire" Seamus Callaghan; and the corporation's international board of directors: Lady Chiyoko in Japan, Callum in Australia, Isra in Dubai, Amadi in Africa, Magda in Hungary, and its CEO, the mysterious human known only as Remick. First introduced in the Halos & Horns fantasy saga, these vampires and lycanthropes have their own stories to tell. These tales in Flashbacks shed light on their dark pasts while sowing the seeds for the next two books in the Fangs & Fur trilogy. They can be enjoyed as individual vampire and werewolf stories, or read by Halos & Horns fans to learn more about the characters populating that saga, or viewed as the prologue to the story about to unfold in the Fangs & Fur trilogy.

*** Book 5 in the Halos & Horns fantasy series *** Book 1 in the Fangs & Fur story arc ***

Nightstalkers

First introduced in the Halos and Horns fantasy saga, these vampires and lycanthropes have their own stories to tell. Pandora's a carefree party girl who just happens to be a vampire. With her best friend Sharon Mordecai, a hybrid vampire; her boyfriend Cody Fenris, a werewolf; and Cody's sister Lupe, who transforms into a wolf, they run Nightstalkers, Inc., a private detective agency in Las Vegas. Pandora and Sharon also belong to Nosferatu, Inc., a worldwide corporation set up to provide relocation services for vampires, who cannot remain in one place indefinitely, lest the “breathers” question why they never age.
When a Grigori unwittingly entrusts trouble-prone vampire Pandora with an ancient leather-bound box containing primordial evil, what could possibly go wrong? At least Pandora doesn't know her best friend slept with her boyfriend. Or that her werewolf beau has been targeted for revenge by one of his victims. Her BFF Sharon — the hybrid vampire infused with an angelic life force — has enough to worry about now that a deranged scientist/occultist is creating his own Frankenstein monster and requires an angelic life force to animate it. He's resurrected the spirit of Jack the Ripper to supply the body parts he needs from Las Vegas prostitutes. Should Kennedy be worried to walk the city streets?
After a Valkyrie whisks the Nightstalkers, Inc. team of private eyes — vampires Sharon and Pandora, and lycanthrope siblings Cody and Lupe Fenris — off to the Otherworld dimension of the Fae to recover Thor’s golden gauntlets from the Dark Fae's leader, the Morrigan, the team will be forever changed. And how does that tie in with their new landlord Kitty Bast, an Egyptian cat goddess?

*** Book 6 in the Halos & Horns fantasy series *** Book 2 in the Fangs & Fur story arc ***

Nosferatu, Inc.

First introduced in the Halos & Horns fantasy saga, these vampires and lycanthropes have their own stories to tell. Nosferatu, Inc. is a worldwide corporation set up to provide relocation services for vampires, who cannot remain in one place indefinitely, lest the "breathers" question why they never age. The battle for control of Nosferatu, Inc. begins as 5,000-year-old Malik, the first vampire and Regina, queen of the demonic vampires known as the Empusae, launch a global attack, while Dracula and his Legion of the Undead attempt a hostile takeover. The werewolf clans return, some to protect a pregnant vampire and others intent on destroying Nosferatu, Inc. And the Egyptian cat goddess Bast learns the secret of the mummy.

*** Book 7 in the Halos & Horns fantasy series *** Book 3 in the Fangs & Fur story arc ***

Shards

Keith B. Darrell traverses multiple genres and dimensions, guiding the reader to a wondrous universe of speculative fiction in which he has loosed the gremlins of his imagination. Leading the reader through realms of fantasy, horror, science fiction, satire, nostalgia, urban fiction, and other genres, he has tapped into the zeitgeist, chronicling the exploits of ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations. His tales hold a funhouse mirror up to society and force us to recognize ourselves in the reflection. Filled with pathos, they cross all genres and are alternately poignant, nostalgic, humorous, cautionary, and even terrifying. Keith B. Darrell’s stories flow effortlessly. Do not be deceived. They are raw. They are politically incorrect. And they will take you from your comfort zone into a modern day Twilight Zone.

Available in two versions: the original 542-page Shards and the new 740-page Shards Omnibus Edition with nearly 200 pages of new material.

Randoms

An Collection of Speculative Fiction from One of Today's Most Compelling Authors!

Out of Print.

A lonely ghost pursues an unrequited love... A farm boy falls in love with his neighbor's cow... The arrival of a spaceship filled with alien children disrupts a small town... A cockroach is crucified on Christmas Day... A reporter interviews a garrulous building... A space traveler engages in a dangerous liaison with an alien female... A woman awakens with amnesia and a dread sense of impending doom... Facing a fire-breathing dragon, a barbarian learns a hidden truth... An angel and a demon vie for the chastity of a young man... Private eyes are hired by a man to track down his own murderer... A woman's dreams shape her reality... A drunken Irishman makes an unwise bargain with a leprechaun...

The 11th edition of Issues In Internet Law: Society, Technology, and the Law has been updated for 2017 with the latest cases and trends in Internet Law. The new edition not only has an expanded glossary, and expanded statute and case indexes but a new chapter devoted to the NSA's spying on Internet users and a first look at the European Union's Right to be Forgotten court ruling and its aftermath.

Reviews:

"Although it deals with the complex legal issues surrounding the Internet, it is written in layman's terms and illustrated with 'ripped from the headlines' court cases." (Amazon)

"The concepts and issues are presented in a way that is sufficiently rigorous but very easy to read, making the book one I can recommend." (Computing Reviews) * "A valuable resource, well-researched and well presented."

"I want a copy on my bookshelf always within arm's reach."

"The anecdotal nature made it easy to understand the underlying legal concepts."

"It is imperative that schools adopt this book in a way which would help young students gain knowledge about the various issues involving the Internet." (Indian Journal of Intellectual Property Law)

"Issues in Internet Law: Society, Technology, and the Law will be a welcome addition in both academic and public law libraries... It should be acquired by libraries for its concise overview of Internet-related legal issues." (Law Library Journal)

Collected Essays of a Reluctant Blogger

Collected Essays of a Reluctant Blogger is available for purchase both in the United States and in the European Union. It can be ordered from Amazon in the
United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain. Collected Essays of a Reluctant Blogger is 332 pages of social commentary and humor, featuring a selection of my best blog columns from the first three years, 2011-to-2013.

I never wanted a blog. My friends insisted I start one, but I resisted. Frankly, the entire concept made no sense to me. When the first blogs appeared, I opined there were 10,000 blogs writers and 10,001 blog readers. To be fair, the early blogs were little more than online diaries, mostly authored by teenage girls obsessing over boys and makeup and school and boys and that snarky girl in fifth period math class who wore too much mascara and boys… Then, the mommy bloggers arrived. Stay-at-home moms discovered blogging and took the Internet by storm. While I appreciated paragraphs that read less like banter overheard outside a high school’s girl’s locker room, I still couldn’t relate to discussions of diapers, car seats, and Oprah. Next came the business blogs. At first, I was enticed back to the Blogosphere. Here was a subject to which I could relate. But I soon realized they were all saying essentially the same thing, stating the obvious with a newfound sense of discovery. Soon, every business was told it must have a blog. Never mind if they had nothing to say; the competition had blogs so customers expected them to, as well. The proliferation of blogs continued. It expanded beyond business. Everyone needed a blog. No matter if they had nothing worth saying. No matter if they lacked writing skills. No matter if they lacked potential readers. It was de rigueur. So I started a little blog. No one read it. But when my friends asked if I had a blog, I could answer yes, and that seemed to satisfy them. They never asked to follow it, but at least I no longer received daily lectures on why it was essential that I have a blog. I had conformed and they were satisfied. As Winston Smith had accepted Big Brother, I had accepted the Blogosphere. It left me alone. For a while.

Return of the Reluctant Blogger

Return of the Reluctant Blogger is 264 pages of social commentary and humor, featuring a selection of my best blog columns from 2016-to-2017.

He showed up at my door one day along with his sister. Both Muscovy ducks, the hen with a pretty, smooth red face looked as though she were wearing a colorful mask, while the drake’s red caruncles looked more like scarlet carbuncles. Frankly, he was ugly. So every day when they appeared at my doorstep I would feed the beautiful hen, who I named Red, and try to discourage her brother. But the drake was not to be dissuaded. He coaxed me into giving him food as well, and unlike his sister, even ate straight from my hand. He would stay with me on the porch to keep me company long after his sister had departed. His bumpy red face reminded me of a cobblestone road and I named him Cobblestone. He had a warm and friendly personality, and as time passed he didn’t seem quite so ugly. They both became daily visitors for the next three years. I’ve come to see Cobblestone is as beautiful on the outside as he is on the inside. And that’s as good a reason as any for him to grace the cover of this book.

Cobblestone has nothing to do with any of the essays within these pages. The Reluctant Blogger series, of which this is the third volume, aggregates disparate posts from my blog on a variety of topics ranging from social commentary to humorous anecdotes. Each essay has been deliberately penned to be read in the time it takes to smoke a cigarette so that non-smokers will finally have something to do during their cigarette breaks.

Cub: The Story of a Boy Reporter

A gallon of gas cost 60 cents — an outrageously high price in the inflationary mid-1970s. The Vietnam War had just ended, and the first videotape recorders were appearing in Japan. Bell-bottoms and teardrop eyeglasses were in style. Fugitive newspaper heiress Patty Hearst — who had joined her kidnappers in robbing a bank— had just been captured. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak would soon form Apple Computer Company. A year after that, the lights would go out in Manhattan for 25 hours. The following year, Egypt and Israel would sign an historic peace treaty. These were the newspaper headlines of the times. Against this backdrop, a teenage reporter sought his own headlines, interviewing the famous and the powerful, seeking new stories to tell while in pursuit of “the scoop”: the Holy Grail of all reporters. Starting at the age of 16, armed with only a pencil, a borrowed camera, and his trusty typewriter, this intrepid “cub” reporter covered some of the greatest stories and people of the era. This is his story... and some of the stories he wrote.

Paperback edition

Putting Your Business on the Internet

There are certain basic concepts that you as a small business owner need to understand before engaging a web designer to build your website. Putting Your Business on the Internet: Your Website, Your Web Designer, & YOU! fills the gap between the designer and the client, providing the contextual background necessary for the small business owner to understand both the limitations of web technology and certain elements and fundamental principles of website design. Anyone considering hiring a web designer to build her site should first read this short book from cover-to-cover!